This invention relates to luggage, an ensemble thereof, and a process for making the same. More particularly, the invention is directed to strong, light-weight, rigid, molded, plastic luggage which may be mobile in nature, may be an ensemble thereof, and a process for manufacturing the same.
A wide variety of luggage made of a wide variety of materials and specific designs and which exhibits many different particular advantages is known and readily available to the buying public through normal commercial channels. For many years in the past through to the present time much research and developmental effort has been expended in the area of luggage technology to provide luggage having various advantageous benefits to the public. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,010,552; 3,112,018; 3,292,252; 3,391,765 and 3,513,951 are illustrative of a number of patents which disclose primarily examples of valances and frame structures employed in luggage and which are metallic in nature. On the other hand, examples of known mobile, wheeled luggage which may be hooked together, that is utilized in the form of ensembles, are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,805,929 and 4,036,336.
Still further, examples of luggage in which a plastic body is employed are typified by U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,822,900 and 3,135,366, the latter employing a metal valance with a plastic body. As further examples of the development and design of luggage are U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,306,402 which is illustrative of one of a number of designs of integral feet for supporting the luggage when it is to be rested or deposed in an upright position, and 2,832,448 which is illustrative of a tongue and groove structure which permits the upper and lower sections of a hinged luggage to be brought into close mating relationship when the luggage is closed.
Another example of a wheeled luggage is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,948,365 which disclosed a molded luggage having wheel wells molded in the side panels of the luggage containing members and, as well, integrally molded support feet.
On the other hand, U.S. Pat. No. 3,799,568 discloses one particular design of a luggage handle disposed in the outer periphery of the luggage container and set in a depressed or raised area of the container per se.
In order to provide required rigidity and strength to luggage, whether it be made of a plastic material or some other material, developments led to the provision of ridges or ribs or corrugations in the walls of the luggage body members per se. Examples of such supporting means are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,313,382 and 3,136,398.
With the advent of the development of plastic molded luggage bodies, developments led not only to integrally molded feet but also to integrally molded hinge means such as illustraded in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,339,781, 3,025,947 and 2,687,157. Still further examples of molded plastic luggage or cases are U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,565,305; 2,920,802 and 2,510,643.
In addition to the above mentioned developments as disclosed in the particular patents mentioned, the inventor of the novel, unique luggage of the instant case has also contributed to luggage developments of one kind or another as illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 3,606,372 for wheeled luggage, and U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,257,120 and 3,257,051, which relate, respectively, to a handle assembly for attachment to a conventional piece of luggage and to a luggage sling which may be employed to attach luggage such as illustrated, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,606,372 in an ensemble.
While the prior art developments and designs, such as those described above, as well as other developments and designs of luggage, have in the main been commercially accepted by the general public, most of the designs developed still evidence various drawbacks or disadvantages of one type or another. For example, among such disadvantages are the wheel wells and wheel assemblies in known luggage which are often not truly waterproof in nature. In various luggage structures which employ shaped, plastic bodies, the required strength or rigidity which must be imparted thereto is generally achieved by the use of metal ribs, and the mating between the two havles of such a luggage is made more accurate by the utilization of metal valances. Moreover, in accordance with many of the known designs where wheeled luggage are provided with feet, whether such feet be integrally molded or not, the wheels and feet are disposed in such a manner that one cannot open the upper part of the luggage to a clear 180.degree. limit. Thus, as a practical matter, such constructions present problems in attempting to pack the same. In addition to those mentioned disadvantages, currently known luggage often exhibits other disadvantages, such as not being suitably shaped to dispose in an ensemble when one or more second pieces are to be utilized. Further, the disposition of the handles, hasps, locks and also a retractable handle, when one is employed for transporting the luggage with ease, are all disposed in a manner such that they detract not only from the aesthetic aspects thereof, but also from the viewpoint of functionality.
There exists, therefore, a need for a luggage which does not exhibit the above-mentioned disadvantages among others. The present invention fulfills this need.